by KYW's Paul Kurtz
A Temple University pscyhologist has been taking notes this week as events have unfolded in Montgomery County, Pa. (see related story) and Cleveland, Ohio (see related story).
Prof. Frank Farley (above) believes that something is wrong with society when a pair of 14-year-old boys can easily get their hands on lethal weapons:
"We're a gun culture. There is just no debate anymore on that."
While guns may be a common denominator in these two cases, Farley says the Internet isn't far behind. The alleged would-be shooter in Montgomery County had a "Myspace" page that featured a second life chock full of bravado and violence.
"There is this whole concept of parallel universes and parallel lives that's arising. Something like six million people are active in second life on the Internet."
The worrisome issue in this case, says Farley, is that the teen's online character apparantly began to take over the real world kid.
And Farley says that Lewis Bennett III -- the student who spoke up about the potential for violence he saw unfolding in a friend -- may have prevented a massacre simply by keeping his eyes open and having the courage to tell his parents:
"Kudos for what he did."
Farley says Bennett's actions underscore the need for students to take action when they see trouble brewing:
"We need kids to be more alert. They're in that culture, they live with their peers. Peer influence is becoming stronger during those teen years, and so we need to encourage kids to be alert to this kind of behavior and to talk to somebody about it."
But Farley predicts that we'll eventually see another school shooting as long kids have access to guns:
"The recipe can differ from one child to another. Some are bullied, some are not. Some have certain personality qualities, some do not. Some have certain family backgrounds, some do not. But the gun is the common denominator here."
Lew Bennett III, 14, went to his parents Wednesday and they contacted authorities, Bennett's father said Friday. He did not elaborate because the investigation is continuing.
"We're so proud of what he did. He did the right thing," Lew Bennett Jr. said.
Lew Bennett III told the Philadelphia Daily News, "I didn't want another kid to do the same thing and keep this chain of events going on."
Bennett Jr. said his son insisted on going to school Friday despite the media maelstrom.
The other youngster's arrest came the same day a 14-year-old in Ohio opened fire at his Cleveland high school, wounding four before killing himself.
(Photo: Temple Univ.)
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